Books
The Radical Activist Ambitions of New Left Cinema
A new book chronicles how leftist directors of the 1960s and '70s used the essay film as an activist tool.
Ela Bittencourt
Test 2018 posts
An Enchanting Film About How its Director Came to Be a Filmmaker
Shirkers, an irresistible mix of insouciance and precocious maturity, delivers a story of ultimate geekiness, as director Sandi Tan sketches a portrait of her younger self.
Test 2018 posts
40 Years of Margarethe von Trotta's Fiercely Feminist Films
A retrospective of the New German Cinema director's influential work marks the release of her latest documentary, Searching for Ingmar Bergman.
Film
A Neorealist Portrait of Black Single Motherhood in Post-Recession Florida
In his latest film, Life and Nothing More, Spanish director Antonio Méndez Esparza employed non-professional actors and documentary realism to create a moving study of race, class, and familial bonds in America.
Film
Shakedown Documents the Overt Sexuality of Lesbian Strip Clubs, and Then Shifts Our Gaze
In a documentary about Black female strippers who dance for women, Leilah Weinraub makes us question how we think about sex and its presentation on camera.
Film
A Surrealist Filmmaker's Legacy of Feminism and Cinematic Innovation
Germaine Dulac may have just been too far ahead of her time as a queer woman filmmaker, and too prodigious in her output to receive proper recognition in any category.
Film
How Women Filmmakers Were Bending Social Norms Since the Birth of Cinema
Women were fighting since the very beginning of celluloid for a role that allowed them to express their creativity.
Film
A Starkly Beautiful Film About Bach, Through the Lens of His Wife’s Diary
Jean-Marie Straub and Danièle Huillet’s The Chronicle of Anna Magdalena Bach, entirely played by professional musicians, is a peculiar and striking film.
Film
On Body and Soul Follows a Strange Romance Set in a Slaughterhouse
Ildiko Enyedi's film, which is nominated for an Oscar, is a fantastical reflection on human intimacy and vulnerability.
Test 2018 posts
Brazil's Extreme Social Tensions on Film
The 21st edition of the Mostra de Cinema de Tiradentes film festival reflected Brazil's volatile social and political climate, while avoiding the conventions of poverty porn.
Test 2018 posts
Female Filmmakers Intimately Tell Women's Stories
A new series at Metrograph features documentaries made by women directors — from Chantal Akerman and Peggy Ahwesh to Yvonne Rainer and Claire Simon — about women's lives.
Film
A Czech Filmmaker Who Portrayed Eastern Bloc Life Through Women's Eyes
At Doclisboa, a comprehensive look at Vera Chytilová's incisive critiques of gender, family, and love.